A Few More Books from 2012

Haven't posted any book reviews for awhile...  these are some of my favorite inspirational/educational reads from 2012:

 This was probably my favorite book that I read in 2012!  I would love to be able to see Mary Beth Chapman speak... her writing was raw, honest, heartfelt, and inspiring.  Grab a box of tissues and curl up with a big cup of coffee for this one!

Kisses from Katie also tops my list of amazing stories!  I am so inspired by this young woman.  She is such an awesome example of what God can do if you REALLY trust Him with your life, if you are obedient to His word, and if you are brave enough to pursue the dreams He gives you.  This book will change your perspective!

I enjoyed participating in an on-line book study led by Jill Savage.  It was really fun to get some personal insights from her and to relate to almost 200 other moms from all over the world reading it at the same time.  This book puts a new spin on the life of Jesus as it relates his struggles to those that moms experience on a daily basis.  I love that she encourages you to read through a large amount of new testament scripture as you work through this book.

Another practical, inspiring read by Jill Savage... I enjoyed reading this book with my moms playgroup.  It was fun to work through the different ideas with some other moms.  It really helped me to change some of my attitudes about money.

Another awesome book by Angie Smith!  I loved reading I Will Carry You so I was excited to check out this book as well.  This book was much more "lesson" based then her first book (narrative) but she still includes many, many personal examples from her life.  She really ministers to women from her own struggles.

It took me several months to work thru this book, but it was a good read.  I enjoyed going through it with my sister-in-law.  The chapters are short and each chapter brings a practical take-away.  I loved some of her ideas... praying through your child's room and praying with other parents for all of your children.  This is a book I'm sure I will go back to.

A Mom "Must-Read"

I recently had the privlidge of reading Mom Connection by Tracey Bianchi. (Thank you to MOPS Int. and Revell Books for providing me with 2 free copies of this amazing book!) I have to start by saying I was slightly biased before even receiving this book. Our MOPS group had the privilege of having Tracey speak at our group this spring and she was so amazingly... NORMAL! She was completely relatable, very unintimidating, and so real. After listening to her talk about friendship (with a chatty toddler clinging to her leg b/c her sitter cancelled at the last minute) I knew that this was a book I wanted to read.

 Not sure about you all, but to me reading a book about friendship was never high on my priority list. Of course I need to read about discipline, potty training, raising godly sons & daughters, and I always love a good fiction read. With my limited reading time I probably wouldn't have picked up a book about friendships but I'm certainly glad I picked up this one!

 Mom Connection, in my opinion is a "must-read" for all moms with young kids (and moms wih older children will certainly benefit from is also). Tracey addresses how to have rich and meaningful relations during a stage of motherhood that often seems lonely, isolating, and just plain exhausting. Many of think we don't even have time for real relationships. Tracey teaches us that it is just the opposite--it is actually these kind of relationships that refuel, encourage, and uplift us. Tracey talks about finding our "rhythm" as a mom. She says "If we find the right balance and cadence, which is so very doable for us moms, we just may thrive during motherhood."  She addresses topics such as asking for help, discovering our passion (everyone has "one big thing" as she puts it), making time for hobbies, balancing extended family, making our marriage a priority, volunteering, and living out our relationship with Christ in a way that makes a difference in our world.  She shares from her heart without dishing up any guilt.

My favorite thing about this book is the way Tracey encourages moms to make connections in our everyday lives... no extra work!  We have opportunities every day to connect, we can make it a part of our routine.  "To live invitationally is to live with an eye toward connecting with others."  Another point that she makes is that every mom has to find their own unique rhythm.  What works for one will not work for others.  We are all different--that's okay.  This was such a great reminder to me that I shouldn't judge others because they make different decisions than I do. Rather, I should celebrate the fact that God made us all different.

Do you think the brownies on the cover of this book look delicious?  I happen to have a recipe for mint chocolate brownies that look just like this... and they are amazing!  I would love to discuss this book with any of you who choose to read it--let me know and I'd love to connect with you... mint chocolate brownies included!

What I've Been Reading Lately...

Love, Love, LOVED this book! Everyone needs to add it to their list as a "must-read" (in my opinion!) It's based on the true story of a little boy's trip to Heaven. Several months after the event took place little Colton (just 4 years old) began to amaze his parents with details about Heaven and Jesus, and other people he met in Heaven. The book is written by his dad and I promise you will not be able to put it down! I read it in less than 24 hours... Read this book and share it with your friends--I guarantee it will change the way you think about Heaven! (Thanks to both my sister-in-laws, Steph & Cori, for recommending this book to me!)

This was a great book that encompassed many different areas of being a mom. It is filled with practical advice to help make your home a place that meets ALL the needs of your family (aka--home as a trauma unit, a rest stop, a church, a school, a museum, and many more!) Jill Savage is always full of great advice and helpful encouragement to moms.

Dr. Leman writes in a "tell-it-like-it-is" style that will have you smiling and laughing often as you keep turning pages. This candid book does exactly what the title suggests--tells you things your husband wants you to know but doesn't always say. As I read this book I found myself having lots of meaningful conversations with Marc--I learned as much from these as I did from the book itself. This is an insightful book for wives.

Another practical, down-to-Earth book written by a mom for moms. Dagnan was a full-time teacher who left her job to stay home with her young children (I could relate!) She gives lots of advice for making the transition from working to staying home. My favorite chapter: "Taming the Type A Personality"--very encouraging for me. My favorite quote from this book: "Every day, each situation, regardless of how ordinary, how broken, how daily, is a blank canvas; an opportunity for imprinting a memory, a lesson, a value on impressionable little minds. Open each day like a present, knowing it may become anything you want." This book really helped me look for JOY in each and every day... no matter how many tantrums, spills, whines, or messes!

So I started and ended on a "theme"! This is another book based on a try story of a man's journey to Heaven. Don Piper was pronounced dead--he remained dead for an hour and half in the aftermath of a disastrous wreck. During this time he experienced 90 Minutes in Heaven. This inspiring book tells the story of his long & painful journey to recovery. God continues to use this pastor's story to share the hope of Heaven with others. (Once again, thanks to my sister-in-law Steph for loaning me this book!)

PS--I'm looking for some good fiction reading--let me know if you have any suggestions!

Book Reviews

One of the things that I have thoroughly enjoyed since I stopped working is reading! I have always been a reader but while working full time, I was usually too tired at night and any free time I had on weekends had to go to household duties. I also gave up all my "fun" reading in order to concentrate on educational reading (aka--parenting books!) Now I am able to balance the two.

I recently went through my book shelf and found that I have A LOT of books that I have purchased over the last few years that I have not yet read. I separated the books into categories (marriage, spiritual growth, parenting, & pleasure) and made a reading plan (yes--that's my OCD side coming out!) In the process of this I discovered that I was currently half-way into 7 different books! My first goal--finish those. (That list is now down to 1.) I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you in hopes that you can find some relevant to your life. (I'm only reviewing books that I enjoyed so these are all positive reviews!)

I LOVED this book! I can without a doubt say that this is the best parenting book I have read to date (and I have a pretty extensive list!) I was fortunate to see Susie Larson speak last year at Hearts at Home and she was amazing. I read this book over the course of about 6 months. Looking back I'm surprised I spaced it out that long b/c it's such a good read I didn't want to put it down; however, there's so much good stuff it takes some time to process and let it sink in. Larson gives so many practical ideas to incorporate into your daily life. One of her biggest lessons--It has to start with YOU! Her mantra--"You can't impart what you don't possess." It's hard to pick a favorite idea, there are so many to choose from, but I love her plan for family meetings--it's doable and their highly productive! It's written to women, but relevant to dads too. If you're a mom raising kids and you buy one new books this year, let it be this one!

This was a Christmas present and I was ready for any new ideas to help me with my strong-willed child. (I won't say this child's name, but most of you reading probably know!) One thing that I found very surprising as I read this book was that it gave me just as many practical types for raising my non-strong willed children as for my SWC. Dobson writes from many many years of experience and research and I know that he is such a sound source of parenting information. Although parts of this book make me scared for the future (specifically the teen years) it is very encouraging and filled with practical insights.

This was one of my unfinished books... I started (I believe) almost 2 years ago and read half of it. It really is a page-turner, it just got lost in my day-to-day somewhere along the way. This is a fiction read, but it really makes you think... it really helped me to look at what I know and believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Heaven. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially if you are struggling with the topic of forgiveness or questioning why God allows bad things to happen.

My friends Jennifer and Stephanie recommended this book (we're all Duggar fans!) I've always enjoyed watching Michelle Duggar interact with her kids--she has such a calm, patient way about her that seems to bring out the best in them. I admire that so much because I feel like I'm constantly losing it with my kids. This book is written by Jim Bob and Michelle together and begins with their dating life. As I read I was constantly saying "Marc, I have to read this part to you--You're not going to believe this!" It was so refreshing to be encouraged by their solid faith in God and to see how he consistently blessed their family. A bonus--it's filled with practical tips and recipes!

I read this book this summer. My sister-in-law loaned it to me and I read it in two days. I literally could not put it down. I carried it with me everywhere and was reading any time I had a free minute! Angie Smith shares her family's story... the heart-wrenching yet inspiring story of their little girl Audrey who was diagnosed with a heart disease when Smith was 20 weeks pregnant. Smith shares her joy, grief, and anger with such an openness and honesty that you think you are her BFF. This is such an inspiring book! (Warning: Keep a box of Kleenex next to you at all times!)

Our small group read this book last spring. We met each week to watch video clips by Francis Chan and discuss. This was, in my opinion, the best small group study we've ever done (in 3 plus years!) Chan really takes everything directly back to what the Bible teaches and he challenges us to questions why we do what we do. This is a great book to read with your spouse.

And I saved the best for last... The Hunger Games is a fictional trilogy. My friend Lindsey loaned me the first book back in September I read it in less than a week and couldn't wait to get my hands on the next two. I got Catching Fire and Mocking Jay at the end of December. I read Catching Fire (my favorite) in less than a week, took a small break (so I made sure I was still talking with my husband on a regular basis) and then finished Mocking Jay in mid-January. I won't try to explain what these books are about because it doesn't really make them sound appealing it. I guess they can be classified as science-fiction, but I don't consider myself a sci-fi fan. You can't help but fall in love with the characters and Collins has a way of making the impossible happen. I love, love, LOVE these books!!!

In the future I will make it a point not to do so many at once so my posts are so ridiculously long!